Sinking device for automobile torpedoes.



1". M. LBAVITT. SINKING DEVICE POR AUTOMOBILE TORPEDOES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1913.

1,076,295. Patented 001:. 21, 1913.

r QL/vda 8 NWA-m WITNESSES: @naw miran srnrns PATENT carica.

FRANK. M. LEAYITT, 0F SMTHTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 E. W. BLISS COMANY, 0F BMOKLYN: NEW"YORK, A. CORPORATION OF lWEST VIRGINIA.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented.0ct. 21,1913.

Application. ed January 3; 1913. Serial Nn. 73%);992;

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK LnAvrr'r, a citizen of the United Statea'residing in Smithtown, in the 'county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Sinking Devices for Automobile Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile torpedoes and: its object is to provide means for causing' the torpedo tosink in case, when used in actual warfare, itl makes an unsuc` cessful run, in order that the torpedo' shall not be a source of danger to navigation. Its object also is to provide means whereby, in the use of the torpedo for vractise or exeroise runs, thev sinking of t e torpedo shall be prevented in order that it may be readily recovered after the run. Y

Inl the well known Bliss-Leavitt torpedo the propeller screws are driven by a.. turbine engine which, is driven by compressed air. The exhaustair from this engine is dis.- charged, i'ntothe after-body from which it escapes through the hollow propeller shaft,

being discharged from the'open endof this y,

shaft at the stern.

In my Patent No. 748,759, dated Jann ary 5, 1904 is shown a construction wherein the escapin air forces o en a spring-closed exhaust va ve which c oses automatically when the flow of air ceases vat the'end of the-run, thus preventing any inflow of water and imprisonlng the remaining air so as to give. the torpedo suiiicient buoyancy tofcause it to rise to the ysurface after the run so that in the case of practise runs it may -be easily recovered.

The present invention provides spring closed exhaust valves differently construct.- ed and arranged, and provides means 'in connection therewith for preventing the closing of these valves when once opened by the exhaust, so that when such means is o erative the valves cannot close at the en of the run, and hence water may flow in to sink the torpedo. For a practise run, however, such means in incapacitated whereby to insure that the valves shall close when the outow of air ceases and thereby imprison the remaining air and maintain the torpedo buoyant so that it shall oat to the surface.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation ofthe tail portion of a torpedo, a portion of the after-body being Fig. 3. F ig. 3 is a transverse section. Figs.'

4 and are sectional detail views.

Ian the drawings A is the torpedo shell or hull: having a transverse bulkhead B. This bulkhead is commonly at the rear end of the-.ater-body A Where it joins the tail section A2; Through. the bulkhead B passes the propeller shaft C carrying the forward propeller screw D,whi1e within this shaftis the inner shaft C carrying the aft screw D In the bulkhead B are formed one or morevexhaust openings E, preferably two as shown, eachv of which is provided with a valve F. -Each valve F- is provided with a sprmg G for closingA it. Each valve is best mounted cna lever I-I pivoted` at I' and connected by a link J to a rod K which receives the'thrust ofthe spring against its head IC', the counter-thrust being exerted' against the internal shoulder L in a tubular shell L, which .is fastened tothe bulkhead Bi and conveniently projects forwardly insidel the after-body. The arrangement issuchthat when the spent compressed air exhausts from the engine'or turbine into the. afterbody andppresses` against the valves F, they' the escapeof the 'a-i'r is more fully set forth in my pending 'application No. 716,189, filed August 21, 1912.

At theend of therunif. it be a practise runthe springs G will draw the,valves F 'to their seats,thereby closing the exhaust openings E and imprisoning the air in theafter-body and,y preventing the ingress of water thereto, whereby the torpedo is' main'- tained sufficiently buoyant to float to the surface. In the case cfa service run, however, as in actual warfare, one of the valves F F is to be held unseated so that at the end of the run water-may freely enter the-afterbody and sink the torpedo. To accomplish this I provide a spring-pressed dog M having a toe N which is adapted to enter be-` tween the valve F and its-seat and thereby prevent the re-seatin of the' valve. The 'dog M is best forme as a 2-armed lever,

the rim of thevalve.

one arm carrying the toe N, the-other arm O projecting in the contrary direction, and the middle part of the lever formed as a tubular sleeve or hub M which is pivoted on a stud.

P around which is coiled a spring Q, one end of which is connected to the dog M and the other to the stud P in such manner as impart to the dog a tendency to move 1n such direction as to thrust its toe N under stud P or, preferably, some stop maybe interposed to hold it pressed back so that thetoe N cannot enter under the valve. It is to facilitate this that the arm O is .provided which may be pressed down by a stop of any suitable kind such, for example, as a screw stud R, Fig. 5, which may be introduced through the shell from the exterior, screwing into a threaded socket R whereby to hold the dog M in its inactive position against the stress of its spring. f

The described construction of -valves F with their lever mountings and spring arrangement is a desirable detail of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In an automobile torpedo, a springclosed exhaust-valve opening from an air chamber within the shell, and y means for holding said valve open when it has been opened by the escaping air to admit water to said chamber after the run to sink the torpedo.

2. In an automobile torpedo, a springclosed exhaust-valve opening from an alr chamber within the shell, and means for holdingsaid valve open when it has been opened by the escaping air, said means adapted to be manually rendered inoperative at will.

3, In an automobile torpedo, a springclosed exhaust-valve opening from an air chamber within the shell, and means for holding said valve open when it has been opened by the escaping air consisting of a spring-pressed dog engaging therim of the valve and adapted to spring between it and its seat upon' the opening ofthe valve.

4. In Aan autmobile torpedo, a springclosed .exhaust-valve opening :from an air chamber Within the shell, and means for holding said valve open when it has been opened by theescaping air, consisting of a spring-pressed'dog engaging the rim of the valve and adapted to spring between it and its seat upon the opening of the valve, and

means for manually rendering said dog inoperative at will comprising a stop device to hold it retracted against the stress of its spring.v a

5. n an automobile torpedo havmg a transverse bulkhead with an exhaust opening through it, an exhaust valve to close said opening, a lever engaging said valve, a link connected to said lever and a spring pressing upon said. link to close said valve.

6. In an automobile torpedo having a transverse bulkhead with an exhaust opening through it, an exhaust valve to close said opening, a lever engaging said valve, alink engaging said lever, a tubular shell into which said link projects, and a coiled spring seated in said shell and pressing against said link to close the valve.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribmg w1t-nesses.

FRANK M. Lnavrrr.

Witnesses F. L. GoLwnLL, Jr., CHAs. J. E'rrswoRTH. 

